Lectin : Friend or Foe?

The anti-grain zealots have come up with a new bad guy to attack and blame on grain consumption. They even claim that this is a factor in many diseases. However, if you read their article carefully, you will see that all of this is guessing in the dark, and taking things out of context.

Note that they admit that wheat is a very complex plant, capable of 23,000 unique proteins. And yet, they have decided to isolate one of them and see what kind of damage it could do all by itself.

They have singled out lectin as the bad guy.

Note also that every detrimental effect on the human body that they claim is caused by lectin, has only been observed in people who eat processed grains, not whole grains.

But they still insist that whole grains are worse than processed grains, because they contain more lectin.

It is kind of like saying that eating a whole apple would be much worse than just eating the seeds of the apple, because you will get more arsenic. While it is true, it has nothing to do with the health effects of eating an apple. (No, I don't suggest eating only the seeds of an apple. Nor does anyone else that I know of.)

Look up lectin in wikipedia and you will find that it has many important biological functions.

Here is why they say lectin is the bad guy:

1. May be pro-inflammatory.
2. May directly bind to and activate white blood cells.
3. May pass through the blood brain barrier pulling bound substances with it.
4. Capable of inducing either cell cycle arrest or programmed cell death.
5. May cause cells to divide or inhibit cell division.
6. May cause platelet activation and aggregation.
7. May bind to the surface of villi in the gastrointestinal tract (causing growth).
8. May decrease levels of heat shock proteins in gut epithelial cells.
9. May enter cells in the same way that viruses can.

Well, lets take another look at that list. But instead of assuming the worst, let's think about balance in the human body. We all know that balance in the body is the key to health. We must have balancing influences for all functions.

1. Inflammation is an important bodily function.
2. White blood cell activation and transport are very important to our immune function.
3. It is important to get many substances across the blood brain barrier.
4. Cell cycle arrest and cell death are particularly important in fighting any cancer.
5. Cell division is also very important, and yet stopping the division is just as important.
6. Platelet activation and aggregation is what keeps us from bleeding to death.
7. Villi are very important to digestion, it is imperative to keep their functions optimal.
8. I would hate to get an over abundance of heat shock proteins in my gut.
9. It actually competes with viruses for access to cells, helping to keeping us healthy.

So you see that, again, it all comes down to balance. Trying to micromanage the nutrients put into the human body is never a good idea. It can only cause imbalance.

We see time and time again that those who eat whole grains (particularly wheat), which cause balance in the human body, are always healthier than those who eat processed grains.

You may also note that those who eliminate grains from their diets, generally continue to have worsening health problems. In their mind this requires more and more supplements of one kind or another, but if they would just get back to eating whole foods, and particularly grains, most of their health problems would fade away.

Any time you take any one constituent of a whole food and isolate it, it is a detrimental thing. But eating the whole food, with all it's parts intact, you get balance and benefit.

Using the same logic, why don't these anti-grain fanatics also blacklist :

1. Mustard, you can create toxic gas from parts of it.
2. Peaches, their pits contain poison.
3. Car brakes, they don't allow the car to go anywhere.
4. Chiropractors, they can put your body out of alignment.
5. Dentists, they drill holes in your teeth.
6. MDs, they are always seen around sick and dying people.
7. Water, it can suffocate you.
8. etc.
9. etc.
10. etc.

Such nonsense!

If you haven't already, please read my recent post on whole grains (click here).

And of course you should also read about the number one must make resolution (click here).

Second Must-Make New Year Resolution

The second must-make New Year's resolution you need is "Whole grains will be my 'staff of life', especially wheat."

14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 89:14 - 17)

Whole grains are the staff of life. They cause life and balance.

Remember that health is all about balance. Whole grains, particularly wheat, cause balance in the human body.

Wheat is a widely used, and yet little understood, secret of health. Wheat was created for the health of man. When used in its whole form, it balances pH, it balances hormones, it balances, proteins, it balances fats, it balances cholesterol, it balances minerals, it balances digestion.

Those who think they are allergic to wheat, generally are not. They are out of balance. They lose their balance by eating processed wheat products that do not contain the goodness of the whole grain.

Even gluten-intolerant folks can generally eat whole grain wheat, especially when it is combined with whole raw milk. For those who cannot eat any gluten at all in any form, they need to start with consuming wheat grass. The wheat grass contains no gluten and will, over time, restore health to the point where whole grains will be able to be consumed.

Make this new year resolution and by the end of this year, you will likely be healthier than you even imagined you could be.

Whole grains along with regular exercise, adequate water intake, other whole foods, and adequate rest and relaxation will create a better you.

For more detail, read my other articles. Just put a search term into the search box in the upper left corner of this page. If you don't see the answer to your question, please leave a comment here asking your question.

Let's Talk Food : What I Eat

Many of you have been asking what I eat, so I guess I should answer.

When I rise in the morning I drink a couple of cups of water (with minerals included of course).

I then like to eat an apple and a slice of my homemade bread before I go running. The bread is made from freshly ground wheat and sprouts. I usually put honey and cinnamon in it, along with coconut oil and "Real Salt". Most of the sprouts are wheat sprouts, but I include a variety of other grain and bean sprouts as well.

After running, I make breakfast. Usually either oatmeal or wheat cereal. Most often it is the wheat. Grind two-thirds of a cup of wheat and cook it in 4 cups of water (with minerals). Feeds three. I like to serve it with some honey, cinnamon, and coconut oil.

Some mornings I'll make eggs for breakfast instead.

Lunch is usually a slice or two of my bread with raw butter and honey on it. I also like to make a drink for lunch with raw eggs, raw milk, home-grown kefir, a little honey and cinnamon, and some nutmeg and/or mint (fresh from the yard).

I will also often snack between meals. Usually another slice of my bread, and maybe a cup of raw milk. Sometimes some fruit or veggies.

I love to mix peanut butter and honey to put on my bread as well.

Of course, I am also drinking lots of mineralized water all through the day.

For dinner I always try to get some kind of veggies. Usually a large salad with lots of spinach. I love avocados in my salads as well. The salad will often include carrots and tomatoes. Instead of salad dressing, I like to use a little spray sea salt with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I will often eat a plate full of salad. Sometimes it will be stir-fried veggies instead.

Then I like to get a high quality starchy food. Usually potatoes or rice and beans. Potatoes must always include the peels. I use lots of spices on my potatoes or rice. My favorites are cayenne, turmeric, oregano, garlic, onion, ginger, and of course, "Redmond Real Salt".

I like to mix a little coconut oil in with my potatoes or rice as well.

I generally also have a large glass of raw milk with my dinner as well.

Now, of course, this can all vary quite a bit, but these are my basics most days.

Any more questions?

Whole Foods : Why?

I am always recommending that people eat whole foods for optimum health. Let's take a look at WHY.

Natural foods are full of all kinds of nutrients to build and to heal the human body. Mankind has discovered many delicious foods to eat. We have also decided that some parts of some plants are much better than other parts.

When I talk about whole foods, I'm not talking about eating the pit of an avocado, or your peach pits either. I'm talking about using the wholesome goodness of the plants that we have discovered can be eaten easily by most people without causing any problem.

I'm not saying to eat the stalks of the wheat plants that we get our grain from, but eat the whole grain to get all of it's goodness.

The biggest problem that I see with our food supply today is that much of the goodness that exists in our food is being processed out of the food before it ever gets to our mouths.

The Creator made food that makes our bodies grow and thrive. When we process out the sweet part, or the soft part, or the sticky part, (depending on what our desire at the time may be) we are destroying the balancing abilities of food. Natures foods have the ability to balance all the functions of the human body. All of our health problems today are caused by (and worsened by) imbalance.

For instance, one of the most prevalent ingredients in food today is wheat. Now that would be great if it was always using all parts of the grain. Wheat is one of the very best foods that humans can eat. The problem is that nearly every product that you find in a normal grocery store that contains wheat, only contains a small part of the wheat.

Our modern day processing destroys about 100 nutrients that existed in the whole wheat grains.
Then the manufacturers add back in about 8 nutrients. This allows them to call it "enriched".

These wheat products are toxic to the human body. Not because the wheat was bad to start with, but because the resources in the wheat that allow the body to digest and ingest this food have been removed. So, instead of being building blocks for the body, it is a sludge that the body has to try and eliminate from the system.

When the body doesn't get the resources that it needs to digest and use our food, it tries to pull those resources from other places. If it can't find the resources to do so, it just puts the sludge aside, with the hope that it will get the resources it needs later to deal with it.

This is why the body stores fat.

If it can pull the needed resources from another part of the body, it often will. Thus causing other weaknesses in the body.

When people recognize that there is a problem with their bodies, they then usually try to do something to solve the problem. However, because most people do not recognize that not eating whole foods caused the problem, they don' eat well to solve the problem.

Instead they hope to give the body resources in a pill or powdered form, so that it can do the things that it needs to do to take care of the problem.

Sometimes, this works... temporarily. But because it does not solve the original problem, it can not be a long term fix.

Pills and powders are by their very nature imbalanced. That is why they ultimately can only make matters worse.

If you look around you will see many people who are taking all kinds of pills and potions, but they continue to run into all kinds of health problems and challenges. So then they look for the next great supplement that will take care of their latest concern.

However, these concerns can never be fully satisfied until the return to eating whole foods.

Whole foods can re-balance all the systems of the body. They have all the resources the body needs.

Man-made pills and potions can never do the same, simply because we still lack the knowledge to know what all of those resources are. Let alone what mixtures and and in what quantities are needed for balancing the body.

Science continues to discover more and more substances found in whole foods that do amazing things for the human body. But we really have no idea how to micro-manage such a complex system as the human body.

The best way to get a well balanced mixture of all that is good for the body, is too eat a variety of whole foods.

To allow the body all the resources necessary to live a long healthy life, eat whole foods, get fresh air and sunshine, exercise regularly, sleep regularly, and forgive and give thanks.

Sprouting Grains : How To

Sprouting grains is a fantastic and simple way to get superb nutrition in your diet.

When you know how to sprout grains you can live off of a years supply of wheat. As long as you also have water, of course.

Sprouting your grains is kind of like getting your fruits and vegetables from your grains. Sprouted grains have even more nutrients than the un-sprouted grains. For instance whole wheat kernels have lots of nutrients, but they lack Vitamin C. If you sprout them, they suddenly have Vitamin C. Also sprouts are easier to eat, and to digest, than the whole grains.

Here are the simple steps to sprouting grain.

Soak the grain in water over night. (8 to 12 hours at room temperature).

Then rinse and drain the water off of them approximately every 6 to 8 hours. (Keep them moist, but not sitting in water, at room temperature.)

I do this in a glass jar with netting over the opening, held in place by a rubber band. I invert the jar at an angle and let it set in a small bowl. The jar (on it's side) is longer than the bowl is wide, so that keeps the jar tipped so that all the water can drain out of it. The netting, of course, keeps the grains in the jar, but allows the water to drain.

You can eat the sprouts at any time throughout this process. Taste them at different times and see how you like them. Some like them best just right after the initial soaking. I usually like mine about a day later. You can continue this process as long as you like, but eventually you will have grass.

When the sprouts reach the point that you like them best, move them to the refrigerator. This doesn't stop the sprouting process completely, but it does slow it down drastically.

One more note about sprouting. You can also sprout beans.

My mother taught us that if you sprout the beans before making chili, it takes the gas out of them. Now that's useful information!

Thanks Mom!

Health Basic Missed By Many Nutritionists

There is a basic fundamental of health that is missed by many nutritionists.

I understand why they make the mistake, but it is most unfortunate.

It is natural to start from where you are, and it's a good idea to do so. Where else would you start from? But when you are looking at what is optimal nutrition, you need to start from an optimal position. The optimal position to start from in regards to human nutrition, is whole grains fresh from the fields.

You see, because grains in our modern world have mostly been processed and destroyed before being put into our food products, they have been made very unhealthy for us. That is why many nutritionists will tell people to avoid grains in their diet. Unfortunately that is a very big mistake.

Whole grains, that have not be processed to death, should be the base of your food supply. Grains do wonderful things for the body that have often been overlooked. They contain lots of fiber, which we now know is key to good health. They contain the essential amino acids for building healthy bodies. Grains contain the best kinds of carbohydrates for fueling the body. They contain many vitamins and minerals.

Whole grains are digested slowly, thereby giving you long term energy. This slower digestion also has several other advantages that have only more recently began to be understood. Besides being good for helping to keep blood sugar levels balanced, it helps to balance the pH of the body.
Wheat in particular is very balancing for the body. It even contains a combination of proteins, carbs, and fats, that help to balance and maintain healthy intestinal flora. Thereby helping your digestion to be more efficient, and allowing you to get more of the nutrients from the foods you eat.

One of the more recent discoveries that you may find interesting is that whole grains contain just as many antioxidants as most fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants had not be recognized previously because of the method used to measure antioxidants in food. It turns out that the whole grains kind of act like time-release capsules for antioxidants. As the grains digest, they gradually release the antioxidants into your system. Thus you have a sustained antioxidant effect over a longer period of time. That is definitely good for your body.

Grains are the ideal base for a healthy diet. They also store very well, so that you can stock a supply for years without worrying about them going bad.

I strongly suggest that you base your diet on whole grains. Buy whole grains. They are very inexpensive and are easily used at home for healthy meals. They are delicious, and even more nutritious when they are sprouted. Sprouting grains is very easy! Or you can just soak whole grains overnight for a delicious breakfast cereal in the morning.

I perhaps should mention one other mistake that many people make in regard to grains. There is a saying, that has been repeated many times, to the effect that farmers feed their livestock grains to fatten them up. This simply is not true. Grains are used to promote health and vigor. Yes, grains give animals what they need to grow and mature and produce. But if a farmer really wants to fatten animals just before going to market, he feeds them polyunsaturated fats.

Grains are natures time-release capsules to give health promoting nutrition to the body. They are fairly low in fat. But our ancestors ate them with raw milk and eggs, thereby enhancing the effects with good and healthy fats.

So just remember that when a nutritionist speaks negatively about grains, they are only speaking of processed, denatured grain by-products. Whole grains are some of the best nutrition you can get.